Kingston tenants claim bats have infested their building

Residents of a Kingston building are concerned for the well-being of their families after seeing bats in their hallway and units.

All is well during the day at 37 Cassidy Street in Kingston, but as soon as the night falls, the bats come out.

Destiny Gravelle is one of several tenants in the building who claim there have been bats flying around the hallways.

Gravelle showed Global News where the bats are often spotted inside the building, however, no one can be sure where the bats are entering the building from. Tenants suspect they may be getting in through windows or vents that they claim are not properly sealed.

But the biggest concern that residents have is the fact that bats are known to carry diseases such as rabies.

“If our children get bit, that would be taken to a next step that hopefully none of us have to go through,” says Gravelle.

The tenant that originally contacted Global News, Kaycie Brant, told us her 10-month-old baby boy had to be rushed to the hospital on Tuesday after claiming a bat came in contact with her baby while he was in his stroller.

Brant says he was given a series of rabies shots at the Kingston General Hospital. KGH will be reporting this incident to public health.

Since then, Gravelle and other tenants say they have contacted property managers, Kingston & Frontenac Housing Corporation

CEO of KFHC provided a statement to Global News saying:

“Kingston & Frontenac Housing is managing Town Homes Kingston which includes overseeing the property at 37 Cassidy Street a sixty unit apartment building.  A tenant reported a bat in the building on July 29/19 and in turn KFHC sent a pest control company to resolve the situation.  Measures were implemented to eliminate the bat immediately upon receiving the call.  Last night a tenant called reporting a bat was seen on the third floor. KFHC is continuing to work with our pest control company to capture the bat and to seal the area where they are entering the apartment building.”

Until the source of the bats can be properly closed off, Gravelle uses a pillowcase to trap the bats, then she sets them free outside.

A tenant who prefers to remain anonymous, but has lived in the building for close to a decade, told Global News that the issues with the building don’t stop with bats. They claim the building has cockroaches and mould that haven’t been properly dealt with by management.